CDC Highlights Small Batteries and Children Can Be a Dangerous Combination

by Carmen Dellutri on September 26, 2012

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that small button batteries used in many consumer products may cause life-threatening injuries if accessed and ingested by young children.

As Port Charlotte injury attorneys, we are concerned given that these coin-sized batteries are commonly found in remote controls, watches, hearing aids, and even some toys.

Below are just a few of the alarming statistics cited in the CDC report:

From 1997 to 2010, an estimated 40,400 children less than 13 years old were treated in emergency departments for battery-related injuries.

Seventy-two percent of these were among children less than or equal to 4 years old with 10 percent requiring hospitalization.

Fourteen battery-related fatalities were identified, all among children less than 4 years of which 12 of the 14 deaths involved button batteries.

"Parents and caregivers should be aware of the potential hazards associated with battery exposure (particularly ingestion of button batteries) and ensure that products containing them are either kept away from children or that the batteries are secured safely in the product," the CDC highlights.

"Because delays in diagnosis and treatment can lead to serious complications and death, children suspected of having ingested a battery should get prompt medical attention. It is also important to recognize that children might be reluctant or unable to say that they ingested a battery or gave one to a sibling," the agency further notes.

The Dellutri Law Group is focused on making bad situations better and putting lives back together. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Port Charlotte accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.